


As the Years Go By

by DawnsEternalLight



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Bruce Wayne is a Good Dad, Bruce is trying, Dick is moooody, Fluff, Gen, Growing Up, Teenage Drama, Teenagers, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-10 05:34:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19900651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnsEternalLight/pseuds/DawnsEternalLight
Summary: Dick is growing up, and Bruce isn't really sure how to deal with it.





	As the Years Go By

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CamsthiSky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CamsthiSky/gifts).



“Morning, Dick.” Bruce said, as footsteps padded into the kitchen.

He peered over the paper he’d been reading to see Dick poke his head into the fridge and pull back out, empty handed and scowling. He’d grown a lot over the past few months. The growth spurt was forcing Alfred to order clothes in ascending sizes ahead of time, just to keep up with him. And, his patrol uniforms had become a constant source of grumbling from the butler.

For Bruce it was something different. Every time he noticed Dick's growth his heart did a funny thing, looping in his chest because, well because his kid was growing, and Bruce wasn’t sure what to do with that. He was proud, yes, but something tugged at his chest, the knowledge that his little bright boy wouldn’t always be so little.

He tried hard not to think of himself at that age. Or rather, about what he did as he grew out of that age. Leaving for his world tour. Running off on his own, with Alfred alone at the house. Bruce wouldn’t be alone if Dick left, but the thought of him being gone was like tearing out his own heart.

“Nothing good in there?” he tried again.

Dick groaned, a noise that could just mean “I’m tired B, leave me alone.” but Bruce wasn’t so sure anymore. He kept misstepping when it came to Dick lately. He’d say or do something to set the lad off and they’d be stuck in stony silence the rest of the night.

Bruce hated that kind of silence between them. 

He sipped at his coffee and watched his son look through the pantry, open the silverware drawer, and finally settle on bread slathered with peanut butter and a glass of juice, sitting down across from him.

Bruce abandoned his paper to look Dick over. His uniform was a little rumpled, and his hair could certainly use a comb. Maybe he was just tired.

“Get enough sleep last night?” he asked.

“More than you.” Dick shifted in his seat, his tone a warning of something brewing, “You know, doctors say that kids my age only need like five or six hours of sleep.”

“Hn.” Bruce went back to his paper, this was not an argument he wanted to have.

“I could help you, you know. More than just the weekends. I’m old enough now to be able to balance things better. I could understand just weekends as a kid, but B I’m practically an adult, if you can patrol most nights and still work I can--”

“Dick we’ve talked about this.” Bruce interrupted, tone firm, “You being healthy and succeeding in school is more important than coming out every night with me.”

“Whatever.” Dick said, his chair screeching across the tile as he shoved it back, half sandwich in hand, “I knew you’d say that. You just don’t understand.”

He stomped out of the room, pushing past Alfred as he walked in with a rough, “Scuse me.”

Alfred raised an eyebrow at him, “And what was the argument of the day?”

“Patrol. Again.” Bruce sighed, and leaned back against his chair, paper dropped to his lap, “I don’t understand why he won’t listen? What we’ve been doing has worked, why change it now?”

Alfred took Dick’s abandoned seat across from Bruce, “Put yourself in his shoes. He cares about you, and he knows how hard things are out there. Would you be happy helping him a few nights of the week?”

“I’m doing this for him. He’s safer this way.”

“He is not a child anymore.” Alfred reminded him, “Beyond that, his experience with the Titans has put him in more danger than you let him in on patrol.”

Bruce sighed. Alfred was right. If he were Dick he’d be chafing against all his rules and limitations. They were stifling compared to the freedom he had outside the Manor, with the other young heroes. Dick always told him about the things he’d done with his friends whenever he returned. In those moments, Bruce hadn’t thought he’d been bothered by it. Now he wasn’t so sure. Had he reacted wrongly? Become even more overprotective on instinct, as if that could keep Dick from the monsters he faced while away?

He was growing so fast and Bruce wasn’t prepared. Wasn’t prepared for any of it. Not the way Dick’s face was losing it’s baby fat every day, or the way his childhood crushes were changing into something more. Least of all he didn’t want to lose the sweet kid he’d cared so much for over the years.

Bruce had lost the child he'd been. He’d lost it all in one fell swoop and never quite gotten it back. The last thing he wanted was for Dick to also lose that spark, that bright twinkling light that was his smile and his incredible optimism about life. What if Bruce ruined that? Smothered him too much or let go too fast that he stole that joy from Dick?

He spent the day worrying about the subject. Brooding, Alfred called it. Brooding, worrying, it was all the same. He needn't have bothered going into the office. He got nothing done, and remembered little of the meetings he managed to attend.

He kept looking at the pictures of Dick he had on his desk. Of them on vacation in Disneyland together, Dick wearing a pair of Mickey ears a little too big for his head and grinning over a huge ice cream cone. The one of Dick out back, mitt in hand as they played catch. Of him on high bars, in the middle of a routine.

What if he messed up? What if he let Dick patrol too often and the kid wore himself out and failed out of his classes or was so tired he got himself seriously hurt?

The questions warred with alternate ones, ones built out of Bruce’s own memories. Of a need to do more. To be more. To get out and change things. It had burned in him then, and Bruce knew it burned in Dick too. He couldn’t not help people.

Bruce left early and tried to work in the cave on cases. He ended up staring at the screen longer than he planned, then pulling up videos of Dick. Routines, and training, or of simple silly moments between the two of them.

There was one video Bruce didn’t remember saving. Dick and his young speedster friend, Wally in the middle of stealing the Batmobile. They were happy, capable kids. Both of them excited by the minimal danger of stealing dad’s car for a ride.

He was waiting for Dick when he got home, lingering in the hallway in an attempt to catch Dick and talk to him. The boy was still mad at him, not even glancing at Bruce as he moved past and down the hall, heading straight for his room.

Bruce had really hoped school would have calmed Dick down, but it seemed to have only fueled the fire burning in him. It was going to be one of those days, and no amount of waiting would settle Dick’s irritated nerves.

He figured if Dick could charge forward, so could he.

Dick’s door was closed. Bruce knocked on it a few times and tried the knob. It was unlocked, so he eased it open.

“Hey, Chum can we talk?”

Dick was at his desk, books already flung open on it.

“I’ve got school work to do. You know, something really important.”

“It’ll only take a minute.” Bruce said, pushing down the irritation raised by Dick’s tone.

Bruce took Dick’s deep sigh and push back from the desk as an invitation and stepped inside. He moved to sit on the bed, where he could be eye to eye with his son. Used to, they’d still be slightly off during talks like this, Dick’s head just reaching Bruce’s chin. Now it was easy to match levels with him, even if Dick wouldn't actually look him in the eyes.

“Al says you’ve been brooding.” Dick said, crossing his arms, “I think you just spent the day trying to figure out how to convince me that I’m ‘doing my very best helping only on the weekends’.”

He tried not to wince, “I have been brooding. And yes, some of that time was spent trying to figure out a way to keep things the same.”

“I knew it!” Dick pointed at him, “You won’t budge will you, old man?”

“Dick.” Bruce tried, “Listen to me.”

“No. Not if you’re going to try to keep things the same. If you haven’t noticed, Bruce, I’m growing up. I’m not a baby you need to trick into thinking he’s doing good by having me help old ladies cross the street anymore. I’m a hero, a real full fledged hero on my own. I’ve fought super villains without you, B. I think I can handle a few week nights patrolling.”

Bruce let him go off and release his pent up steam. He had a feeling Dick had been planning the argument all day. Going over it in a hundred different ways. It was likely neither of them had gotten any real work done all day. 

“If you think you can keep me from helping you’ve got another thing coming. I’m not always going to be a kid. I’ve got to grow up sometime.”

“I know.” Bruce said.

“And another--wait, you know?” This took some of the steam out of Dick’s argument, his tight shoulders falling into something more relaxed, “What are you talking about?”

Bruce reached over to the nightstand by Dick’s bed, plucking a picture of the two of them off it to cradle in his hands, “I know.” he said again, thumb brushing the glass.

It was a matching picture to one on his desk at work, the two of them playing ball together, “You’re not going to be a kid forever, in fact you’re not a kid anymore.” he looked up at Dick, “You’re growing up so fast you know that? Faster than I can keep up with.”

Dick huffed, but there was no anger in it, this was more of a “well duh” kind of huff.

“We’ve had a lot of great times, and a lot of fun. You’re smile lit up every room. Still does.”

This pulled a hint of a smile out of Dick.

Bruce sighed and really looked at him, “You’ve got to understand, I know you’re growing up, but to me you’re still my kid.”

The word made Bruce’s heart do a little flip, it always did. Dick had given him the permission to call him that, he’d called him Dad as well. They were family, father and son, and yet the word always made Bruce just want to hug him. He loved his kid so much, and had no idea how he’d been so lucky to end up with him.

“I’m going to be a little slow figuring things out, and a little slow learning how things work as you grow up.” Bruce tapped on the picture frame, “What I’m asking is for a little grace and patience with me.”

“Of course, B. But--”

Bruce shook his head, “In that line, I was thinking, maybe we could add a day or two into the week where you join me on patrol. Not the full week mind you, but we can ease into things.”

Now Dick cracked a smile at him, “This is where you wanted that patience?”

“Maybe.”

Dick shrugged, “It’s progress, and that’s all I really asked for. You think I could join you on some big cases too?”

“Hnn.” Bruce set the picture frame back on the nightstand, “Give me a hug and I’ll consider it.”

“I was already going to do that.” Dick said, hopping from chair to bed, where he wrapped his arms around Bruce’s shoulders, “Thanks, B. I won’t let you down.”

Bruce pulled him close and pressed a kiss to the top of his head, “I don’t doubt it, you did fight a super villain on your own.”

“I did have help.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, Wally needed extra help on a case and--”

Bruce let Dick’s story pass over him, listening to his son’s chatter, so much like it had always been. Even with all the changes going on, there were some things that never changed. He had a feeling that Dick might not ever grow out of that bright personality that saw goodness in people, and hope in the world.

He squeezed Dick again, “What do you say we go get some ice cream?” he interrupted, “You can finish telling me about this adventure, and then tell me about some of your other adventures. I have a feeling I need the reminder.”


End file.
